Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system and method for supporting a fault cause analysis in the case of a fault event in an industrial plant.
To assist the service personnel when looking for the cause for a fault event that has occurred in the operation of a technical plant, fault models can be drawn up and-used for the fault analysis. The structure of such fault models is also referred to as a fault tree.
Models for fault cause analysis can be developed in accordance with different existing methods and techniques, such as Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), or fault tree analysis [John Moubray, RCM2, Butterworth-Heinemann, Second Edition 1997]. However, the results of a fault cause analysis using such models are often inadequately documented, if at all in electronic form, and, then, normally as EXCEL tables or as graphics in Power Point. In addition, it is a disadvantage that only the results of the analytical process are documented. The use of the results for the analysis of fault causes in similar problem cases is only inadequately supported. To make existing experience accessible for reuse, it would be necessary for these tools to support model libraries with search functions. However, current search machines implement only a search for texts. Convenient tools at any rate permit linking with Boolean operators. Nevertheless, search queries also supply unsatisfactory results in this case. The list of hits is often very comprehensive or potential hits are not recognized because the pure text comparison supplies a negative result.